Bottle closure



May 20, 1941. Q U R v 2,242,966

BOTTLE CLOSURE Filed March 15, 1939 INVENTOR A l on Burkarolf Patented May 2%, 1941.

BOTTLE CLOSURE Anton Burkardt, New York, N. Y., assignor to Pneumatic Cap & Seal Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application March 13, 1939, Serial No. 261,547

1 Claim.

My present invention relates to bottle closures, and more particularly to an improved bottle closure having as essential elements means for preventing the building up of pressure within the bottle from the contents thereof or the entrance to the bottle of liquids or air from Without the bottle.

In carrying out my invention I preferably utilize a bottle closure of the cup plug type, associated with or secured to as an integral part of a hood seal or lip seal forming thereby an air chamber. Such air chamber is closed with the exception of small perforations in both the bottom of the cup plug and the portion of the hood seal or lip seal which extends across the open upper end of such cup plug. While the aforesaid chamber is thus practically open both to the contents of the bottle and to the outer atmosphere there will not ordinarily be any transfer of liquid from the bottle or liquid or other moisture from the outer atmosphere except upon differential of pressure and the perforations or the portions of the cup plug or seal are so constructed as to prevent the entrance to the bottle of liquid which has once passed from the bottle into the plug cup or which may have passed through the hood or lip seal into the cup from the outer atmosphere. The material of the cup plug surrounding the perforations in such cup plug are raised about the periphery of the perforations in such a manner as to form a dam over which the moisture within the cup plug will not flow into the bottle.

A feature of my invention therefore is an improved bottle closure for permitting escape of moisture from a bottle without unsealing the bottle.

A further feature of my invention is an improved bottle closure which will permit the flow of moisture to a point within the closure while preventing the flow of such moisture into the bottle to contaminate or dilute the contents thereof.

A further feature of my invention is an improved closure for a bottle in which moisture which has seeped from the bottle to a point within the closure will be prevented from returning to the bottle under all conditions of service.

Other features of the invention will appear as the description of the invention progresses.

In the accompanying drawing Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional elevation of the upper end of a bottle, such as a milk bottle illustrating my invention as applied to a hood seal.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional elevation of the upper end of a bottle such as is shown in Fig. 1

showing my invention applied to the mouth thereof and in association with a lip seal, and

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the cup plug seal illustrated in either Figure 1 or 2.

Referring to the drawing, and particularly to Figure 1, H] designates a bottle such as a mill: bottle having formed at the upper open end of the pouring lip l l the recess or counterbored portion l2 in which is seated a cup plug 13. In this figure the cup plug 13 is secured to the central under face portion of the upper end M of a hood seal I5, the lower pleated skirt portion It of which extends, as shown, below the pouring lip H and is placed in such condition after the sealing means for the hood seal [5 has been broken. When within the counterbored portion E2 of the pouring lip H the cup plug seal 13 has its under or bottom face ll dished upwardly and outwardly as shown, such being caused, or accentuated, because of the relation of the diameter of the sides of the cup plug l3 with relation to the diameter of the counterbored portion E2 of the pouring lip II of the bottle. There is presumed for purposes of illustration to be within the bottle I!) the liquid designated by the reference numeral l3 and such liquid in conformity with the character of the bottle illustrated is presumed to be milk or cream.

Arranged in the dished portion ll of the cup plug i3 in any desired order or arrangement are perforations l9, the perforations being formed by a relatively pointed instrument which as shown forces the material of the dished portion l1 upwardly thus defining about the periphery of the perforations 19 a dam 2a which extends above the upper surface of the dish portion ll.

Also arranged in the upper portion es of the hood seal l5 in any desired order or arrangement, but so ordered or arranged as not to be directly opposite the perforations [9 or perforation 20. Such perforations are likewise made with a relatively pointed blunt instrument whereby the. material of the upper portion [4 of the hood seal I5 is forced downwardly or displaced thereby forming about the inner periphery of the perforations 2| a dam 22 or downwardly extending portion 22.

Referring now to Figure 2 the cup plug i3 is associated with and secured to the under face of a lip seal 23. This lip seal 23 has formed therein in substantially the same arrangement as the portion 14 of the hood seal [5 the perforations 24.

As either of the structures shown in Figures 1 and 2 have been in a situation where the bottle l0 and contents [8 have become relatively warm or hot, it will be obvious that the expansion of liquid l8 may be such as to force vapor or liquid through one or more of the perforations l9 and 2! respectively. One of such drops is shown in Figure 1 as indicated by the reference numeral 25. Another of such drops is shown in Figure 2 and indicated by the reference numeral 26. A still further drop is shown in Figure 2 and indicated by the reference numeral 21. It will be understood that ordinarily such drop 25, 26 or 21 is in a form of a bubble ordinarily shown in Figure 26 and that upon further pressure being applied as in the case in Figure 2 such. bubble 26 will burst as shown indicated at 21 and the burst bubble will collect on the upper surface of the dish portion I! of the cup seal and will fiow into the corner of the cup seal as indicated by the reference numeral 28 in either Figures 1 or 2. If under these circumstances the bottle In with its contents I8 is placed in a refrigerator the bottle and contents will be-cooled and moisture from melting points or condensation will collect on the outer surface of the hood seal IE or the outer surface of the lip seal 23 and upon cooling of the liquid I8 and bottle in a negative pressure will be set up within the bottle and within the cup seal [3 whereupon such condensed moisture may be drawn through the perforations 2| in Figure 1 or through the perforations 24 in Figure 2 and will fall in fine drops or particles onto the upper surface of the dished portion I! of the cup plug 13. Such moisture will then find its way to collect as the drops 28 shown in the figures and will be prevented from flowing through the perforations l9 by the dams 26.

The pressure exerted by the heating of the bottle I!) and liquid l8 will be relieved through the perforations l9 and therefore there Will be no tendency for the cup plug [3 to be removed from the bottle I0. Conversely a negative pressure due to chilling of the bottle I 0 and contents [8 will merely result in a closure adherence of the cup seal I3 to the open mouth of the bottle I 0.

Whereas I have described my invention by reference to specific forms thereof, it will be understood that many changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

In an improved closure for bottles and the like, such as milk bottles, the combination of a cup plug provided with a diaphragm at its lower end, and which diaphragm, when in position on a bottle, is normally in proximity to the fluid contents of such bottle, a plurality of perforations extending through the diaphragm to permit seepage of air and moisture from such bottle into the cup plug, a dam surrounding each of the perforations and located on the sideof the diaphragm remote from the interior of the bottle and in association with the perforations thereby to permit return of air from the cup plug into the bottle and independently preventing return of moisture to the bottle, a seal cap closing the open end of the cup plug member and secured to such cup plug member to form therewith a chamber and perforations in the seal cap communicating with the cup plug member to permit seepage of air and moisture into and out of the cup plug member.

ANTON BURKARDT. 

